Television Without Pity » Big Love » A Barbecue For Betty:

Previously on Cheaper By The Quarter Dozen: Bill managed to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat by grabbing Roman's guitar --(oh. nice. so that's how he had the leverage to make the deal with Roman that opens this episode.)-- [ Adaleen comes out and asks, "Bill?" She moves closer and says angrily, "How dare you? How dare you? An old man and fourteen defenseless women?" Ha! That is the best line of the night. Adaleen officially stole this episode out from under everyone else. ]

...After he marches out, Margene breaks the silence with "Okay, please tell me: what credit-card statements?" Nicki snaps, "Margene, go! Your babies are eating bugs!" I like that line, seems very Nicki-like.

wow, nice work by recapper Sobell:
Heather mulls this for approximately a microsecond before replying, "I've been thinking about becoming a state representative." What, like as a summer job? Actually, Heather's very tired of people having the wrong idea of Utah. Oh, the sweet, flaky layers of irony in that sentence, that Heather should be saying this to the kid of polygamists in Utah. Heather adds, "We're a red state, but that doesn't mean we're Neanderthal and not progressive." This is true. Even though 72% of 2004 voters select a Presidential administration that regards science as witchcraft, privacy as a meaningless collection of syllables, an environment as something to plunder for profit, sex as something to shroud in confusion, and gays as second-class citizens, that's no reason to think that the state's not progressive. Anyway, Sarah notes that Heather scored highest on her judgmental trait; it will surprise nobody to learn that I'm up there, too.

Heather decides to quiz Sarah. Hilariously enough, she answers for Sarah, too. She is a field marshal! Sarah insists she's not an introvert, and Heather scoffs, "Yes, you are. You would have to be to survive your nutty lifestyle." Didn't I say that a few episodes ago? Why, I believe I did. [ aw: Margene clarifies that she's not mad at him; it's just that the strain of living so guardedly is getting to her and she's deeply lonely. This would appear to be one of the big paradoxes of stealth polygamy: temperamentally, the people most suited to it would be introverts who don't need a lot of external human interaction...and yet the whole point to group marriage is that there's a lot of external human interaction. Margene dissolves in tears, and Ben gently tells her, "You just need a place to go that's neutral. A class or something where you can meet people. You just can't invite them home." ]

...that's how it comes out that there were a few votes on Margene. She was not a shoo-in candidate. again, nice work Sobell - and wow: Reagan got 525 electoral votes to Mondale's 13. huh.

"..couldn't make it to the father-daughter pancake breakfast." Bill is all, "The who in the what now?" right as Heather comes down. She is shocked to see her father there instead of her mother. Chuck explains, "Mom was busy with Relief Society, honeybun." He clearly adores his daughter. Ah, man, this scene makes me miss my dad. As the adults exchange pleasantries, Heather mouths things like, "I am so sorry" and "Oh my heck!" at Sarah. She shrugs casually -- no harm, no foul. The Tuttles leave.

..Bill barks, "Switch it back! I don't like people making plans for me behind my back! And I don't like secrets!" Then he stalks upstairs to think about all the times he's never, ever kept secrets from someone else.

..Chad looks like he just came off the assembly line for "guys you'd take home to meet your dad" -- dorky hair; clean, shining face wreathed in a nervous smile; pressed short-sleeved shirt and tie. ["Once I've determined that he isn't played by a London, Chad instantly breaks my heart." -- Wing Chun] aw. Chad is known to me from Saved where he more recently again played a nice Mormon guy. less pathetic there though. and yes I wldnt have noticed it but his face does somewhat resemble the London twins.
..Margene instantly snaps back, "How many feminists does it take to screw in a lightbulb? None -- it's not the lightbulb that needs changing." Chad giddily exclaims the two words Margene never hears at home: "Touché, Margene!"

Barb snaps back, "I was in a difficult position, Bill! I'm extremely relieved to be out of it. I don't like lies either. If I did, we'd still be meeting in hotels." Bill at least has the grace to look ashamed. Barb adds that she thought it was Nicki's place to tell Bill. He plaintively replies, "I'm your husband, aren't I?" Barb wearily replies, "Yes. But I'm married to two other people. You seem to forget that sometimes." Good for her for pointing that out -- it's just too bad she seems to be the only one who maintains that delusion. sweet lovely Barb. 'marriage'. but she's not married to anyone else lovely.